24/05/2019 Campbeltown Festival 2019 (Day 2 -- Part 3) The Big Cadenhead Tasting

Like last year, this one is hosted by Jenna McIntosh and Cameron McGeachy for their respective ranges, both chaperoned by Mark Watt.

N from Brighton [who arrives late]: "Too excited to get a cup of tea..."
tOMoH: "You Englishman, you!"

The hosts explain that the exclusive bottlings today are on sale in the Cadenhead tent and are accessible only to those who are present here, which will be verified by way of a wristband.

CMcG: "Your wristbands are high value..."
MW: "I think some of them are already at auction..."

CMcG: "There are no stupid questions!"
MW: "Is Cameron small, or is he just far away?"

We try all blind.

To business!

Dram #1 (CMcG): nose: jammy and fruity, with apricot, peach and rose-petal, honey and dusty books. Good start! Mouth: it turns drier and more leafy than expected (dry leaves), with wood honey and smoked porridge. Finish: long, honeyed, it has dead leaves, gunmetal and ivy. It is a good starter with a nice nose, though it fails to win me over. CMcG reveals a mixture of Invergordon, Glenfarclas and Glenlivet. Blend 45yo (43.1%, Cask Sample) 7/10

MW: "Some 45yo whiskies, you're pretty much licking a tree. If you're going to lick a tree, make sure you go higher than a dog can pee!"

Dram #2 (JMcI): nose: more wood, tree bark, mulch and tea biscuit. JS finds Port in the nose as well. Mouth: bitter, wine-y, it has tannins and a distinct bite -- too much of a bite, actually; I find it unbalanced. Finish: wine-y, this one tastes like dark-grape wine, cherry fruit and unripe blackcurrant. Meh. Girvan 9yo (61.4%, Cask Sample, Pinot Noir Cask) 5/10

I may not like it much, but I appreciate it was daring to serve a red-wine-matured, twelve-year-old grain whisky!

Someone confused Moon Import with moon export!

Dram #3 (JMcI): nose: unripe fruit, including waxy apricot, sprinkled with peach liqueur and even walnut liqueur. Mouth: soft, velvety, fruity, peachy, it presents notes of apricot too, ripe, this time. Finish: a mushroom cave, dunnage warehouse, timidly-tropical fruit. I first guess an Inchmurrin, after AMcR, who is in the room, ventures a Littlemill. In hindsight, it is obviously a Littlemill. The one that came out yesterday. Excellent, and well done JMcI for offering something that 85% in this room will not be able to buy a bottle of. Littlemill 27yo 1992/2019 (49.8%, Cadenhead, Bourbon Hogshead, 270b) 8/10

Dram #4 (MW -- I think): nose: petrolic, with sweet Demerara sugar and vapours of a plastic-manufacturing factory, plastic buckets. Mouth: super cereal-y and plastic-y. This is big and biting (no surprise when you see the ABV). Finish: lots of plastic here too, rubber, dark sugar, oil and all sorts of petrolic notes. It is a rum, which, in hindsight, is also quite obvious; not far from some of the Caroni, Fiji and Venezuela rums that have been released in recent years. This is Dictador. Nice, but not my thing, today. Colombia 26yo (69.4%, Cask Sample, 20y in Bourbon Cask + 6y in Port Cask) 7/10

anonymous: "Is it for sale?"
MW: "It will be for sale... in the future!"

Dram #5 (CMcG): nose: cow dung, muck, dry sands, crusty earth and dried apricots. Mouth: soft and gentle, it showcases fruit and hemp, in stark contrast with the nose. Finish: lots of delicate fruit, hints of smoke, linen and clean laundry, hot cotton. Cooley 11yo 1992/2019 Open Day "Big Tasting" 2019 (53.4%, Cadenhead Malts Festival, Barrel) 8/10

MW [about the counter-intuitive age statement]: "It turns out that, unbeknownst to me, it's illegal to mature Irish whiskey outside of Ireland. It's a fairly new rule... from 1985."

Dram #6 (MW -- I think): nose: mud, earth and clay. It is simply earthy. Mouth: earthy, muddy, with clay and bogs. Finish: you guessed it! Mud, clay, earth, crusty earth. This one does what it does really well, but it is as one-dimensional as a stroke on a chalkboard. Good for countryside boys like myself; to say it is memorable would be a huge overstatement. Bunnahabhain 5yo (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads) 6/10

The tasting finishes. The tent is still relatively busy with people queueing for bottles, but it feels over. Many are flying out in the next hour, even more are scrambling to Islay for the next festival. The French/Swiss(no-sky) pour us a few things to finish off -- two of which I will end up trying tomorrow, after "forgetting" overnight. The one thing I do remember is this.

Springbank 12yo (46%, OB Ceramic Jug, b. ca. late 1980s): a very well-known jug that I cannot remember having actually tried prior. But of course, I do not remember much, at this point. Nose: pickled onions and orchard fruit. This seems to be a typical profile for those ceramic decanters -- Bowmore Bicentenary was also pickled-onion-led fruit. Mouth: I find it soft, fruity and fresh, which is a trademark of Springbank's distillate from that era, I suppose. Finish: soft, fruity and fresh. Ahem. I am drunk, aren't I? I am embarrassed: this is clearly good. In my current state, I cannot do it justice, unfortunately. 8/10

Working on international relationships since...

Time to bid good bye/farewell, retire for a refreshing shower and a short lie-down. I start wondering why humans drink (merriment? Catharsis? As a social conduit? To enable a spiritual connection?) Yeah, I also only think of those things when under the influence. It was high time I stopped! :o)

Quick stop at the shop, as Paul McCartneux wants to browse

In comes the evening and supper at the Harbourview Grille. And it is...

Soup of the day

Grilled-halloumi salad

Seafood pasta for adc

HAGGIS F-IN' NACHOS B!TCH3S!

On the harbour front, the scene is so strange I wonder if I am hallucinating. Huge lorries deliver huge metal tubes. It turns out Campbeltown is no longer the whisky capital of the world, but it has become a capital manufacturing hub for wind-turbine parts -- and timber, as we saw two years ago.

24/05/2019 Campbeltown Festival 2019 (Day 2 -- Part 2) Cadenhead's Lucky-Dip Bar

This one is in the tent in front of the Glengyle distillery. Again, an activity I have never taken part in, the previous years. The concept of a lucky-dip bar, for those who are not familiar with it, is simple: pay a fixed price, get n random drinks (three, in this case, via raffle-style tickets). Not the sort of things that rocks my boat, usually, but Cadenhead has unfathomable stocks, so it could be a lot of fun. Oh! and Mark Watt shared a picture of a Banff sample that went into the lot, so everyone is hoping to be lucky. :-)

End up with the three on the left

Finally manage to share a 1955 Glenlochy with MG

We spend time with the French, the Swiss(no-sky), OO and others. OO offers a Foursquare rum that I take no notes for.

Because I know it quite well

As it turns out, JS is not lucky at all: one Strathmill, An Irish, and a rum, (I even take no notes at all, for the rum -- the day becomes a bit blurry, here). No bad drops by any means, simply stuff we have already had -- sister casks thereof, I mean.

Things turn slightly messy

Strathmill 25yo d.1991 (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, 2143): yeah, the juice is poured from samples, and the descriptions are that vague. I do not even know if 2143 is a cask number. Nose: soft and fruity, it has plums and jelly. Mouth: acidic, fruity, the palate sees grapes and plum juice. Finish: long, velvety, soft and gentle. I detect more plums and prune juice. As usual, a good Strathmill, but that is no surprise. 7/10

Classic Rum d.2011 (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, C#16/V397-6)

Irish Whisky d.2006 (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, C#16/112-7): another soft number this one smells like bread and is pretty cereal-y. Mouth: simple with some orchard fruit, white bread and a creamy/yoghurt-y texture. Finish: warm, reminiscent of meadows and grass, it has yellow flowers and... potato skins. Excellent as an apéritif. Notice how Cadenhead misspelled whiskey... 8/10

I am offered this:

Port Charlotte 8yo 2001/2010 Port Sgioba (66%, OB Private Cask, Sherry Hogshead, C#826/2001, 286b, b#052): I immediately wonder if I have had it before -- perhaps in Toulouse? Indeed, I have. Nose: leather lard, smoky butter, farmyard. Mouth: big, smoky, buttery and lard-loaded. Finish: unsurprisingly, it squashes all in its path with a high ABV and an onslaught of leather, butter, lard, crispy bacon and farmyard notes, alongside burnt wood. Lovely, if unsubtle. Also not suitable for vegetarians. I like it better than the first time. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Dodo76)

pat gva [about a specific dram with a chemical-fruit taste]: "You like chemistry? You'll be in heaven!"

I manage to escape for a quick bite. Clearly, the warehouse tasting has not left me unscathed...

Paul McCartneux seems well entertained

24/05/2019 Campbeltown Festival 2019 (Day 2 -- Part 1) Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting

jazzpianofingers shows me this, which he poured yesterday

This year's warehouse hike is hosted by Mitch Graham, who proudly boasts that he has recently been promoted (well done, Mitch!) and spends a lot of time laying down a disclaimer for his ridiculously booming voice. The zenith of that disclaimer is when he tells us someone once said he sounded like James Earl Jones and asked him to say 'power' in a solemn fashion. Giggles all round.

Follow me to the Dark Side

MG: "The more you drink, the less annoying my voice becomes!"

It is not annoying, Mitch! We are simply all jealous that you command so much attention with it.
The Frogs, the Swiss, the Swisskies, the Postman-EC Brigade are with JS, adc and myself on this, and we are ready to roll!

MG valinches out of the casks or pours from pre-filled bottles (because the casks are in different warehouses and we do not have climbing equipment for such an expedition). The valinched ones are marked 'cask sample', while the bottled ones are given their full bottling reference. Everything is poured blind, of course.

Aultmore 12yo d.2006 (56.7%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Hogshead, C#308071): nose: grapes and lukewarm porridge with soaked sultanas. It smells exactly like the breakfast whisky MG will tell us this is. Many might shrug at the idea of having a 56.7% dram as a starter, but we are seasoned. Mouth: lively, grape-y, a touch acidic and spicy. Finish: nice, vibrant, fruity and chocolate-y. Good, though MG cleverly and accurately confirms that the first dram is always more or less sacrificed. pat gva finds it utterly uninteresting and I can see his point. This is definitely not something I would buy for its challenging character, yet it is perfect as lubricant to ease one into a tasting. 7/10

MG: "I'm not gonnae telle ye hoo tae drink yer whisky, cos most of ye've been drinking whisky for longer than I have. Legally." (MG's accent emphasised for comedic purposes)

Benrinnes 23yo 1995/2019 (52.9%, Cask Sample, Hogshead): there is a discrepancy between the ABV on the cask and the ABV on the label. MG confirms that 52.9% is the right ABV. Considering 53.5% is written on the label, it is possibly entirely certain that he is wrong, but I will not contradict such a fine gentleman (especially not one who has Darth Vader's voice). Nose: mint (JS), sulphur (adc), prunes (me) and pine needles (the dead give-away that makes me guess the distillery correctly, bringing fame and glory on to tOMoH's name in front of all the warehouse geeks -- yay, me). Mouth: peppermint, aggressive spices, despite the creamy texture (adc). Finish: nice, here, with raw plums, unripe peaches, liquorice, Gocce Pino. Nice and sweet, despite the spicy mouth. I find it quite similar to the 23yo Small Batch offering from a few months ago, which I apparently have no notes for. 8/10

MG: "Drink it the way you want. As long as it has 'Cadenhead' or 'Springbank' written on it, it pays my wages."

Blended Scotch 38yo 1980/2019 (45.3%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Oloroso Butt): since this is part of the warehouse tasting, it falls neither under the Creations label, nor under the William Cadenhead range (the bright coloured ones with the Colonel Kentucky bust on them). MG announces a blend of Macallan, Tamdhu, Invergordon, Highland Park and Glenrothes. I had guessed not a whisky, which makes me lose all credibility. Nose: Christmas cake and guano (!), as well as prunes and figs. Mouth: coating, chock-full of dark fruit and liquorice allsorts. The cask influence is immense. Finish: similar notes of woody sherry cask -- liquorice, burnt wood. I would like to enjoy this one more, but I do not. Far from bad, it simply does not push all my buttons. 8/10

MG: "You can buy all the bottles at the end. I'll tell you the prices once you're a little more drunk."

Tormore 30yo d.1988 (48.1%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Hogshead, C#15944): nose: sawdust, cereals, hay, straw and rhubarb. Mouth: soft, with herbs on vanilla custard. Finish: long, custard-y, with another pinch of herbs and lichen on fruit. I am a sucker for an old Tormore and this is no exception. 8/10

MG: "When I say 'herbal', it sounds like 'hairball'."

Loch Lomond 12yo 2007/2019 (55.7%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Refill Bourbon Hogshead): nose: a hint of leather, farm-y notes, horse's hair, and rosemary-buttered chicken. Mouth: salty roast chicken, then mud, clay and, well, peat. Finish: very peaty, here, with wet bogs, marshes and power -- this one does not sleep! Loch Lomond are now all sensitive about others using their brands, but we all suspect a Croftengea (the roasted chicken note a dead give-away). 8/10

Springbank 14yo 2004/2019 (54.4%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Hogshead): we finish with a theoretical bang. Nose: farm paths and cola, sulphur (stf92 and pat gva -- I agree), prunes. Mouth: this is too sulphury for me. Remains relatively agreeable, but not blinding. Prunes and sulphur. Finish: prunes, rubber, dried figs and licking a tyre, really. No doubt this will sell out and end up at auction next week. I find it a bit meh. As far as I am concerned it does not deserve the popularity it will almost inevitably enjoy. 6/10

That is that for this one. The bottles are not sold here, but under the tent in Glengyle's courtyard, and only to those who wear a wristband -- which is cut as soon as a purchase is made, so no chancer going for all the bottles. Pity that it has to come to that, but good to see that the organisers are trying their best to satisfy as many people as possible, as opposed to satisfy one group a lot and frustrate the rest.

The lesser-spotted dunnage-warehouse puffin
had a cracking time

23/05/2019 Campbeltown Festival 2019 (Day 1 -- Part 3) Springbank Open Day Bar MkII

The board is fast looking like a hunting board, with more and more references crossed off as unavailable.

jazzpianofingers tries to distract JS, whilst the driver
drives off with our drams

Springbank d.1997 (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, C#107) (21 on the board): nose: amazing mix of farm-y tones and tropical fruits (fig, mango, jackfruit). Mouth: vibrant and fruity, it has smoky, caramelised apricot. Finish: peach stone, peach nectar, slightly bitter and metallic. Lovely! 8/10

You could fill the bottling hall with all the fucks this gull doesn't give

Springbank Vintage (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, C#7/147-1) (23 on the board): nose: cereals in milk, beer, then taffy. Mouth: gentle and sweet, with liquorice and touches of marzipan. Finish: the trademark farm-y notes take over, kept afloat by an underlying current of wood -- cutting boards, sawdust, wood shavings. Decent. 7/10

pat gva moves back into his old agent-pat-gva role and shows directions

We are now sitting in the courtyard, with musicians playing

...playing well too

Springbank d.2001 (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, C#350) (24 on board): nose: more of that smoky, waxy character. We might as well be at Clynelish. Mouth: it is all peach, on the palate, white plum, mirabelle plum and candlewax. Finish: pretty much the same, it has wax and orchard fruit, a hint of smoke and seal wax. Average, this. 6/10

I pour this...

...N immediately starts sabre-dancing

Springbank d.2000 (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, C#624) (27 on board): nose: rich and deep, with buttery fruit (avocado, mango). Mouth: mellow, vaguely dry or bitter, it has a touch of verbena, lichen and soaked staves. Finish: long, vaguely drying with apricot stone. 7/10

florian09 appears and, in return for something else, pours me this.

Talisker 30yo b.2017 (45.8%, OB, Bourbon & Sherry Casks, 9078b): nose: grapefruit turnover, sweet pastry. Mouth: soft and fruity, turnover style again, with also some pepper and a touch of metal. Very nice. Finish: a hint of pepper, the same metallic note and lots of fruit. I even like this, today. 8/10

Hazelburn d.2007 (60.7%, Cask Sample, C#117) (31 on the board): nose: cider, cloudy cider and heavy perry (peary?) Mouth: smoky pear juice, strangely enough. Finish: smoke (yup, in a Hazelburn), pears, apples. Very nice, with an unexpected combination of orchard fruit and a hint of smoke. Lovely. 8/10

Time for some trafficking

Meanwhile, JS discovers they serve cocktails too

Roger Swissky shows up and pours the following.

Putachieside Liqueur (80° Proof, Cadenhead, b.1970s): nose: deep as the Mariana Trench, with waxy plums, prunes and peaches. Mouth: meow! It has lots of peach and apricot, dunnage warehouse and pleasure. Finish: very dunnage-warehouse-oriented, pastry, apricot turnover and puff pastry. I am obviously not in a state to make great notes, yet the best thing I have tried today. Fruit, wax and dunnage warehouse. 9/10

Also: local cheeses!

Time to get sober.

"Whose bag is it? Do I need to call a member of staff
or text British Transport Police on 61016?"

I spot a rucksack on the ground and no-one around. I open it to discover jazzpianofinger's business cards and the bottle I brought for him from London. I try to call him, with no success. I will find out tomorrow that he had a rather hectic day, today, "that guy" jazzpianofingers. :-)

23/05/2019 Campbeltown Festival 2019 (Day 1 -- Part 2) Springbank Warehouse Tasting

Distillery manager Gavin MacLachlan ushers us into warehouse #4.

Walking into a tomb

Hazelburn 21yo d.1998 (53.6%, Cask Sample, C#204/49): GMcL tells us this one was earmarked for the German market, but it did not hold enough liquid, so was set aside for the warehouse tastings instead. Several people in the audience comment on how it has evolved, over the months -- to a point I wonder if I have had it too (if so, it was here) but the cask numbers differ. GMcL points out that it recently celebrated its twenty-first anniversary... we all sing Happy Birthday. :-) Nose: shoe polish and Brazil-nut butter. Mouth: balanced, with almond oil, argan oil and Brazil-nut butter again. Finish: crushed nuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, macadamia. Love it. Either it is indeed a different cask, or it has changed dramatically, in the course of two years. 8/10

GMcL: "When you drink this and you see the foam appearing on the wall... that's when you know the whisky's good."

Springbank 8yo (48.5%, Cask Sample, small cask, C#267/28): this was earmarked to be part of a batch of Rundlets & Kilderkins. Nose: Kool-Aid, maple syrup, all sorts of chemical sweetness, as well as butterscotch and cola, in the back. Mouth: soft and sweet, it has gelatine, Kool-Aid and corn syrup. Finish: overly sweet, there is more maple syrup and corn syrup in the finish, distant, faded leather. Good enough, but so sweet! 7/10

Springbank 21yo (49.3%, Cask Sample, Sherry Finish, C#235/9): nose: this one has a surprising coastal influence, with sea breeze, sea spray, but also farm paths. A textbook Springbank, really. Berries, too. Mouth: another soft one, though this has a salty tang without the sea spray. Berries again, a bit of mud. Finish: farmyard, shoe polish, polished wood and caramelised berries. 7/10

GMcL: "The toilet's over there, to the right!"

Longrow 17yo (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, C#480/239): nose: shoe polish and cow pastures. A combination that works a treat. Mouth: more shoe polish and farm paths. Finish: long, shoe polish-y, it has a cooked-elderberry aftertaste. Short notes (heavy tasting), lovely whisky. 8/10

Longrow (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, Red Wine Cask, C#227/27): one might think I can no longer think straight, failing to note ABV and other information, but it is not only me. GMcL does not give all details of the cask, and access to the cask itself is more and more difficult as others are more intoxicated. Nose: lots of fruit, berries and stuff (despite the disclaimer, I seem to be slightly pissed). Mouth: a little bitter, with blackcurrant and a spoonful of mud. Finish: properly bitter, now, with tractor-tyre rubber. I was going to say berries, but really, it is all about the farm-y tones alright. 7/10

Only five drams, this year, which is probably for the better. GMcL valinches very generously and the crowd is more than mildly inebriated (including me). Funnily enough, we also finish ten minutes ahead of schedule as a result -- or has my watch stopped working again?

Back to the Springbank Open Day Bar, then!